Hispanic students scored a 2.2 percent jump in graduation and 3 percent fewer left school, while 2.3 percent more black students earned a diploma and 2 percent fewer dropped out.

The difference between graduation and dropout rates is students who are taking longer than four years to earn a diploma, special education students, and students working on equivalency diplomas.

Results for Hispanic, black, English learner and poor students were higher than the overall average, which showed that progress was being made in closing the so-called "achievement gap" in which Asian and white students consistently outperform their counterparts from other ethnic groups, Torlakson said.

The dropout numbers are only for high school students. Education officials said a significant number of middle school students never make it to high school, but they do not have those figures.